DOCUMENTARY - Manganiars

The Manganiar and related Langha are Muslim communities in the desert of Rajasthan, India in the districts of Barmer and Jaisalmer, along the border in Sindh province of Pakistan.
The Manganiars consider themselves descendants of the Rajputs and are renowned as highly skilled folk musicians of the Thar desert. Their songs are passed on from generation to generation as a form of oral history of the desert. They sing songs about Alexander the Great, about the local Maharajas and past battles in the region. Manganiars have survived for centuries on the patronage of wealthy merchants in caravan towns, particularly Jaisalmer where there is an important settled community today.